1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to devices for draining fluid from a can of foodstuff and, more particularly, to hand-held devices that are adapted to drain the fluid content from the can while retaining the food.
For example, it is common practice to drain the water from a can of tuna before using the tuna fish to make a salad or for use in some other recipe.
The same would apply for salmon and other foodstuffs. The desired food is in the can and it is in suspension (i.e., it is mixed) with water or another type of fluid, for example, an oil such as olive oil.
The most common way currently to drain the fluid from the can while retaining the foodstuff therein is to sever the lid using a can opener and then continue to use the lid keeping it inside of the can as a member to press up into the foodstuff in the can while holding the can upside down.
This approach has many disadvantages. First, it is not effective. A great deal of pressure is required to adequately separate the fluid apart from the foodstuff. The greater the pressure, the shorter will be the time. Many people, and most housewives for example, lack sufficient strength to press the lid up into the can with their thumbs so as to effectively remove the fluid and do so quickly.
Consequently, they must retain the can in an upside down orientation for a protracted period of time and apply a nominal force. This is also tiring and it leads to another disadvantage of this process.
It is messy. The oil or water that is typically in the can flows around the fingers (usually the thumbs) that are pressing the lid up. The person must wash his or her hands and it may be especially difficult to remove the fish odor from the hands.
The net result is that people are less likely to opt to make tuna fish salad. The time and mess and odor all serve as deterrents, especially when the available time is short.
Instead, they reach for the peanut butter and jelly. It is believed by the various canned tuna fish manufacturers who recognize that if an easier and economical way to drain the fluid was available, then tuna consumption would likely increase and would do so substantially.
Another problem again relates to force. Not only is a device to drain fluid from a foodstuff such as from a can of tuna fish needed, but the device must have a mechanical advantage so that those of limited strength can effectively drain the fluid and do so in a relatively short period of time.
Another problem with using the lid as a member to press upon the food is that the lid often bends in the center if sufficient force is applied. This tends to dislodge the tuna, for example, out from the center of the can and displace it toward the can edges where it is likely to fall past the bent lid and out of the can. As the can is being held upside down so the fluid can run out, the dislodged tuna can also fall out.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a device for draining a can of food that is convenient to use, is not messy to use, effectively drains the water or other fluid while retaining the foodstuff in the can and which provides a mechanical advantage to make doing so easier to accomplish.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Strainers for food are, in general, known. While the structural arrangements of the above known types of devices, at first appearance, may have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for draining a can of food that is easy to use.
It is also an important object of the invention to provide a device for draining a can of food that is effective at draining a fluid from the can.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device for draining a can of food that is effective at draining a fluid from the can while retaining the food in the can.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a device for draining a can of food that is adapted for draining the fluid from a can of tuna fish.
Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a device for draining a can of food that provides a mechanical advantage that increases the pressure that is applied to the food in the can.
Yet another important object of the invention is to provide a device for draining a can of food that provides a mechanical advantage that decreases the time that is required to drain the fluid from the can.
Still yet another important object of the invention is to provide a device for draining a can of food that is economical to manufacture.
Still one other important object of the invention is to provide a device for draining a can of food that is reliable.
Briefly, a device for draining a can of food that is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention has a longitudinal first member and a first handle disposed at a distal end thereof. A cylinder is attached to the first member at a proximate end. At an end of the cylinder that is diametrically disposed away from first member is provided a pivot axis, the pivot axis being disposed substantially perpendicular with respect to a longitudinal axis of the first member. The cylinder is open at the top and is closed at the bottom and includes an inside diameter that is greater than the outside diameter of the can of food that it is adapted to receive therein. A longitudinal second member is attached to the pivot axis at a proximate end thereof and is adapted to pivot about the pivot axis. The second member includes a raised arcuate section that extends distally from the pivot axis for a longitudinal distance that is approximately the diameter of the cylinder. The second member continues to extend longitudinally away from the pivot axis and terminates in a second handle that is equidistant from the pivot axis with the first handle. A first end of a longitudinal third member is pivotally attached to the arcuate section of the second member proximate the center of cylinder and is adapted to pivot about a second pivot axis, the second pivot axis being substantially parallel with the pivot axis. A circular grate having a smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the can of food is attached to a distal end of the third member and is adapted to enter into the can when the second member is pivoted toward the first member. The grate includes a plurality of alternating raised and lowered ridges with a plurality of holes therein. In use, the lid is removed from the can, the second member is pivoted away from the first member a sufficient amount so that the can may be placed in the cylinder with the open end of the can facing upward. The second member is urged toward the first member urging the grate to bear against the food in the can. As force is applied, the device is turned partially upside down to allow the fluid in the can to drain out, typically into a sink. The longitudinal distance from the tip of the second handle to the second pivot axis is greater than the distance from the second pivot axis to the first pivot axis, thereby providing a mechanical advantage that increases the force applied to the food in the can when a user squeezes the first and second handles toward each other.